Drawer units and runners therefor

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a runner which is removably mounted in a support unit for sliding drawers, the runner including integrally cranked arm portions which engage in slots in uprights of the support unit and locking tongues which are adjustable when the runner is in position to provide against unintentional removal of the runner from the uprights.

United States Patent Hudson [451 July 18,1972

[54] DRAWER UNITS AND RUNNERS THEREFOR [72] Inventor: Leslie Gordon Hudson, Little Copped Hall, Epping, Essex, England [22] Filed: March 12,1971

[21] Appl.No.: 123,684

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data March 16, 1970 Great Britain ..12,571/70 [52] US. Cl. ..3l2/346, 308/36, 312/350, 312/351 [51] Int. Cl ..A47b 88/04, F16c 32/00 [58] Field of Search ..3l2/332, 346, 347, 349, 351, 312/350; 211/134, 148; 308/36, 3; 248/D1G. 3,

[56] Reierences Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,346,426 7/1920 Scherbner ..52/667 2,090,353 8/1937 Hokanson ..3l2/346 1,798,875 3/1931 Geimer. ..312/346 2,911,276 11/1959 Hiers "312/350 3,199,683 8/1965 Graswich .....248/DIGl 3 3,477,677 11/1969 Hindley ..248/DIG 3 Primary Examiner-James T. McCall Attorney--Woodhams, Blanchard & Flynn ABSTRACT The invention relates to a runner which is removably mounted in a support unit for sliding drawers, the runner including integrally cranked arm portions which engage in slots in uprights of the support unit and locking tongues which are adjustable when the runner is in position to provide against unintentional removal of the runner from the uprights.

S Clains, 6 Drawing Figures Patented July 18, 1972 3,677,615

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DRAWER UNITS AND RUNNERS THEREFOR The invention relates to drawer runners for use in units of the kind which are adjustable 'in order to accommodate drawers in various positions.

Runners of the kind referred to are locked in position when a drawer is engaged in them, but on the other hand when the drawer is removed such runners may be knocked out accidentally and this happens particularly when the units are used in trolleys and in lorries when they can shake out with vibration if there is no drawer in situ.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved runner which prevents this condition.

According to the invention there is provided a runner for drawer support units, comprising a channel section member, one limb of which tenninates in a tongue which is co-extensive with the limb and is spaced from the base of the channel-section member by a slot, the base of the channel section member adjacent each end of the one limb including a cranked arm of substantially L-shape, the part of the arm connecting the arm to the base comprising a fulcrum so that when the other part is inserted in a slot in an upright of a drawer support generally at 90 and rotated about the one part, the other part engages the upright, and the tongue can be bent upwardly out of the plane of the one limb thereby locking the runner in position.

The one limb of the channel section member may preferably include two slots, one at each end of the limb.

The tongue may be capable of bending to a plane inclined at an angle of substantially 30 to the plane of the one limb.

The runners may be made from metal, plastics or metal coated with plastics material.

Two embodiments of the invention are diagrammatically illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a runner;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of part of an upright;

FIG. 3 shows an end elevation of a first position in a way of mounting a runner in an upright;

FIG. 4 shows an end elevation of the runner locked in position following a further step in the mounting procedure;

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of one end of a second embodiment of runner, and

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of part of another upright.

Referring to FIG. 1, a runner comprises a channel section member 1 the upper limb 2 of which includes two blind slots 3. The remainder of the limb outside each slot forms a tongue 4. The lower limb 5, as seen in FIG. 1, is parallel to the upper limb 2. The lower limb is longer than the upper limb.

The runner also includes two spaced-apart cranked arms 6, a part 6 of each of which lies in a plane generally parallel to the plane of a base bridging the two limbs 2 and 5 of the channel section member. The arms 6 are shown located at a position beyond the lateral extremities of the upper limb 2.

An upright support member 7 includes a series of horizontal slots 8. The slots 8 are positioned at standard intervals so that uprights are interchangeable.

The runners and the uprights are used in combination to provide an adjustable unit for supporting storage trays or drawers which may be of various heights.

In use, the four uprights 7 are erected to define an area in which storage trays or drawers are to be housed. The erected uprights in plan (not shown) thus define a rectangular area, there being an upright at each corner. The slots 8 on two uprights with slots directed in the same sense are spaced apart by a distance equal to the distance between the arms 6.

A runner is supported by two parallel uprights 7 by inserting one arm 6 in a slot 8 of one upright and the other arm in a slot of the second upright. The runner is now in the position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3. The runner is then rotated downwardly, while pushing the runner towards the uprights. This swinging motion pivots the arm 6 about fulcrum X so that the part 6' comes to rest behind the slot. The runner is then in the position shown in full lines in FIG. 3. At this position the runner is in a stable osition to receive and support the drawer, but unless a rawer is inserted the runner can be vibrated or accidentally knocked out. But by bending up the tongue 4 by hand at about 30 it will be in a position to engage against the upright 7 (FIG. 4) and thus prevent any rotation in the opposite direction to that required when inserting the part 6' The two tongues 4 thus act as stops which prevent unintentional removal of the arm 6 from the slot 8. The runner is therefore locked in the required position by the raised tongues 4 and can only be removed by returning the tongues by hand to their original position co-planar with the remainder of the limb, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 4.

Referring now to FIG. 5 as an alternative to arm 6 and part 6', the channel section runner 1110 includes at each end an L- shaped cranked arm 101, the parts 102 and 103 lying in a plane at right angles to the plane of the base of the channel member. The runner includes a locking tongue 104 which functions in the same manner as in the previous embodiment to prevent unintentional dislodging of the runners from the uprights.

The runner is assembled into an upright in the same way as described previously for the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the part 103 forming the fulcrum.

The runner of FIG. 5 is used with uprights 7a having vertical slots 8a in which the arm 102 is received.

The invention thus provides a simple and effective adjusta ble storage unit for drawers in which the runners do not become displaced owing to vibration or vigorous usage. The units may be used in schools, hospitals, store-rooms, in lorries, trains or aboard ship, or trolleys, or in any other suitable location.

Iclaim:

1. A runner for drawer support units comprising an integral channel section body member, one limb of which terminates in a tongue co-extensive with the said one limb, the said tongue and the base of the channel member being spaced apart and defining a blind slot, the said base of the channel section member having at each end an integral upstanding cranked arm of an L-configuration one part of the arm in connection with the base being horizontal and defining a fulcrum for the arm when the other part is inserted horizontally into a slot defined by an upright drawer support, whereby when the runner is rotated about the said fulcrum the runner rotates and the other part lockingly engages the body of the said upright to support the runner, and the tongue can be bent upwardly or downwardly out of the plane of the said one limb thereby locking the runner in position.

2. A runner according to claim 1, in which the said other part of the said cranked arm lies in a plane substantially parallel to the base member of the said channel section member.

3. A runner according to claim 1, in which the said other part of the said cranked arm lies in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of the base member.

4. A runner according to claim 1, in which the said other limb of the said channel section member extends beyond the said one limb at each end of the runner.

5. A runner according to claim 3, in which there are two of said cranked arms, one integral with the said base member at one end of the runner and the other integral with the said base member at the other end of said runner, whereby the two cranked arms are spaced apart and can be inserted in slots in an upright support member for drawer runners. 

1. A runner for drawer support units comprising an integral channel section body member, one limb of which terminates in a tongue co-extensive with the said one limb, the said tongue and the base of the channel member being spaced apart and defining a blind slot, the said base of the channel section member having at each end an integral upstanding cranked arm of an L-configuration one part of the arm in connection with the base being horizontal and defining a fulcrum for the arm when the other part is inserted horizontally into a slot defined by an upright drawer support, whereby when the runner is rotated about the said fulcrum the runner rotates and the other part lockingly engages the body of the said upright to support the runner, and the tongue can be bent upwardly or downwardly out of the plane of the said one limb thereby locking the runner in position.
 2. A runner according to claim 1, in which the said other part of the said cranked arm lies in a plane substantially parallel to the base member of the said channel section member.
 3. A runner aCcording to claim 1, in which the said other part of the said cranked arm lies in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of the base member.
 4. A runner according to claim 1, in which the said other limb of the said channel section member extends beyond the said one limb at each end of the runner.
 5. A runner according to claim 3, in which there are two of said cranked arms, one integral with the said base member at one end of the runner and the other integral with the said base member at the other end of said runner, whereby the two cranked arms are spaced apart and can be inserted in slots in an upright support member for drawer runners. 